We recently brought you several hiring tips and ways to reduce staff turnover. Today we’re sharing insight on building your staff—a skill that cannot be understated in its value to your restaurant or café.
Hire a mix of ages and backgrounds, if possible.
Students are often hired at cafés and restaurants. Most have limited professional experience, making the service industry a great place to start. Nonstudents with some job experience under their belts can be valuable mentors to younger ones, and they can be easier to schedule because they’re not juggling school and study time.
When interviewing candidates, always ask: “Why did you leave your last job?” A potential new hire’s answer will clearly indicate what is important to them in an employer and in a job (more money, more of a challenge, more flexibility, etc.). It can also help you see if they’ll be a good fit for your business’ culture.
Never stop recruiting.
Even if you’re overseeing a happy workplace, an employee can decide to quit at any time. Whether or not you have job openings, keep an eye out for the skills you’re looking for and people who would be a good fit.
Be specific about your expectations.
New employees don’t know what is expected of them, how they will be assessed, or with whom they will work. Give them a written job description, and talk them through your expectations for attire, general demeanor, types of duties to be executed, speed and skill in completing tasks, etc.
Pay people as well as you can.
Talented people expect their paycheck to reflect their contributions. Find out what other restaurants or cafes in town are paying their employees, and what benefits are being offered so you can stay competitive.
Conduct exit interviews.
Often, an employee who’s leaving will be more forthcoming than one who’s still on the payroll. Ask departing team members what they did not enjoy about working for you, what they would change, etc. If you think they might have some good ideas about how you can improve staff relations, consider updating your policies and procedures so future employees are as happy as possible— and therefore productive and longer tenured.
